Officials from the Starke County Sheriff’s Department and the Starke County Emergency Management Agency are attempting to get some grant funds to help pay for items and overtime costs spent in response to COVID-19.
Sheriff Bill Dulin asked the commissioners for permission last week to approve a contract with Integrity Group to help the Sheriff’s Department apply for a FEMA grant for overtime and personal protective equipment (PPE). The administrator’s fee would be paid for through the grant funds.
The FEMA grant is a matching grant where 75 percent of the funds would come to the county with a 25 percent match provided by the state.
The commissioners unanimously approved the contract subject to review by County Attorney Marty Lucas. Lucas said he will look specifically at the fee assessed by the company.
Additionally, Emergency Management Agency Director J. Nier told the commissioners that she will be sending separate information through the FEMA grant portal for other departments in the county to be reimbursed for PPE and overtime costs.
She said she has secured several pieces of PPE such as KN95 masks, surgical masks, and hand sanitizer for use by county employees and emergency responders. Nier commented that she’s tagged on to a grant from District 1 to secure more supplies and will seek other grants to assist the county with PPE.
Nier urged fire chiefs to contact her if any PPE is needed for their departments. She indicated last week that she sent out information to all of the fire chiefs and is awaiting responses. The commissioners encouraged that Nier continue communication to be sure that each department gets pieces of PPE as needed.
She added that she was recently able to obtain a refrigerated trailer with grant funds as requested by the coroner.
